In Wisconsin August always has certainties, one being school will start soon, and with the start of each new school year brings fall sports. For most small schools those sports include Cross Country, Volleyball, and Friday night Football. Due to different circumstances in each community, particularly smaller ones like Seneca, Wauzeka, and many others in the southwest corner of the state, some schools have trouble fielding a full varsity roster.

Wauzeka was faced with the possibility of not having a varsity program early in the season until two people showed up at practice. They weren’t the fastest guys in the school, or guys at all. Two girls showed up when the team was in jeopardy. Those two girls were Megan Klema, and Salena Giddings.

Neither girls had ever played football, other than in their backyards with friends, prior to this season. So for both it was a familiar, but somewhat new experience. “Playing football in the backyard, and…on the field is a whole different story,” said Klema. Klema who plays in the backfield on offense, and is a linebacker on defense said also said she was a little scared the first time but once she took that first hit it’s an adrenaline rush from there on. Giddings said she joined because she’s always wanted to play, and had always wanted to play, but when her schools team was in need of help she too stepped up.

The season was going on as planned for the entire Hornets team, and then, all of a sudden, after a local news station talked to the girls, the news spread across the country all the way to Los Angeles. Queen Latifah, a football fan herself, who has been in movies, and had some musical success, now hosts a show which airs at 1pm on WLAX, and many other stations around the country. She has had guests such as Jamie Foxx, Will Smith, and many more.

Now, both Megan, and Salena have been guests of the show as well. After WLAX picked up the story, someone from the Queen Latifah Show got wind of the news, and from there on several things happenen. First people from the show came to film at the school what a day in the life of the girls was like, at least during the school day. “They came and interviewed Salena in the morning, then they interviewed me, and had to break it up because of classes and lunch” said Megan “they talked to my brother, the coach, and one or two seniors on the team, then they just followed us around all day.”

The film crew not only went to the school, they also went to the Hornets game against De Soto. The crew not only focused on the girls, but the entire team. “They didn’t just focus on us, they focused on the whole team. It was about the team working together and it was just great,” said Salena.

After the game against the Pirates, the girls were then guests on the show as well. They were flown to Los Angeles, both had a guardian with them, and arrived this past Sunday, the 22nd. After arriving in LA the girls had a ride waiting for them and were taken to their hotels, then the next morning went to the studio to get prepped. Megan said “They picked us up about 9:30 Monday morning and took us to the studio, and we started hair and makeup. They prepped us for the show, and we were out of the studio by about 3:00pm.”

To see Megan, Salena, and the rest of the Hornets on the gridiron they play tonight at 7pm at Wauzeka High School against Kickapoo/La Farge, next Friday night at home against Casseville, and the final home game of the season will be home against Ithica on October 11th.